sunset park
of sunnyvale
Homeowners Association

125 Connemara Way
Sunnyvale, CA 94087

Roof Replacement Committee

Recommendations to Board

Recommendations for Immediate Board Action

The committee recommends that when shingle roof replacement takes place, the new shingles be composition (asphalt and fiberglass) from GAF with the "Golden Pledge" warranty. In order to qualify for that warranty, the ventilation in buildings will need to be improved. Intake ventilation, which is in the soffits, can and should be improved now because the improved ventilation will benefit both current roofs and future roofs. Outlet ventilation, which is in the upper portion of the roofs, has to be replaced along with the roofs; investment in outlet ventilation for the current roofs is not advised, but it will be necessary in the new roofs to qualify for the "Golden Pledge" warranty.

The committee believes that even the oldest roofs in the complex still have 2-3 years of life and that replacement will not need to start in 2002 as currently scheduled in the reserves. However, there are problems with exterior portions of the buildings that need to be repaired, and these problems can be addressed by roofing contractors. These include problems with chimney caps, roofs pulling away from chimneys, and isolated instances of damage on roofs.

The committee recommends that the 3 roofing contractors who talked to the committee be invited to submit bids to fix intake ventilation problems, chimney problems, and other repairs that are needed with respect to roofs. These problems should be fixed now, and shingle, gutter, and downspout replacement can start in 2-3 years. The bids should include details of what items the roofers think need to be fixed and how they will fix them. The bids should also address how improvements in ventilation will make it feasible for Sunset Park to qualify for the GAF "Golden Pledge" warranty when shingle replacement is done.

Recommendations for Future Board Action

Coordination

The committee recommends that roofing jobs be grouped together as much as possible. The current reserves budget calls for 4 roofing jobs in 2002, 2007, 2010, and 2011. The committee suggests that these jobs be grouped together into 2.

One of the roofers spotted a roof that was not installed correctly and estimated that that particular roof had about 3 years of life remaining. That roof was in the group that is budgeted in the reserves to be replaced in 2002.

One of the roofers advised the committee that gutters and downspouts should be replaced at the same time as the adjacent roofs. The Board needs to establish a policy regarding raingutters that were not originally installed by the developer but instead were later added by owners.

The same roofer also suggested, but with less sense of urgency, that flat top roofs be replaced at the same time as the adjacent shingle roofs.

The committee strongly recommends that the next roof replacement include removal of the current roofing materials. We should not do another overlay.

Why We Recommend Composition (Asphalt & Fiberglass) Shingles

The committee listened to the roofers' opinions about various roofing materials and concluded that composition shingles are most suitable for Sunset Park. The alternative materials are more expensive than composition, and they all have problems. Furthermore, it is possible to get a very good manufacturer's warranty with composition shingles.

Wood shingles do not last as long and require some additional maintenance. It is possible to have a Class A (fire rating) wood roof using shingles treated to Class B standard and underlaying with a gypsum product. The customer has to rely on the roofer to obtain edge cut shingles, and modern wood shingles are not as dense as they once were and are therefore even less likely to hold up well.

Tile shingles are heavy and brittle. Our buildings are probably not designed to hold the weight, and they would be more vulnerable to earthquakes with such weight on top of them. Unlike wood and composition shingles, people should not walk on tile roofs; this presents problems for installing satellite dishes, cleaning dryer vents, etc.

Synthetic materials that provide the appearance of wood or tile have a poor track record. Many of the companies that have sold these materials are now out of business.

The only drawback with composition shingles is that the asphalt in them absorbs heat. Therefore, ventilation is very important. We need to have 1 square foot of intake ventilation and 1 square foot of outlet ventilation for every 300 square feet of attic floor space.

Dissent: One committee member seriously considered recommending wood shingles because of the heat problem associated with composition shingles.

Which Composition Shingles?

Composition shingles come in different grades with warranties ranging from 20 years to lifetime. The committee recommends selecting shingles that are warranted for at least 40 years. When comparing 40-year roofs with roofs of shorter lives, the savings on the cost of additional installations more than make up for the additional cost of materials. On the other hand, at least 2 of the roofers did not believe that "lifetime" roofs would last any longer than 40-year roofs. An investment in a "lifetime" roof as compared to a 40-year roof has to be justified on aesthetic considerations.

Most committee members want roofing materials that have an appearance of high quality, such as the Grand Seqoia from GAF or the Presidential Shake from Certainteed. Dissent: One committee member would get bids for a basic 40-year roof and for a pricier version that looks more distinguished, and then let the Board decide if the appearance is worth the additional cost. The roof lines advocated by a majority of the committee are not the most expensive, but they are definitely more expensive than the cheapest 40-year roofs. For example, the Country Estates and Grand Canyon lines from GAF are more expensive than the Grand Seqoia, which in turn is more expensive than the Timberline 40 or the Slateline. The Certainteed Presidential Shake is less expensive than the Grand Manor, the Presidential TL, or the Ambassador Shake, but it is more expensive than the Dimensional 40.

GAF offers (at extra charge of about 4%) a warranty that provides 12 years of full protection (100% replacement cost) against manufacturing and installation defects. On a 40-year roof, this warranty after 12 years would then provide 28 years of pro-rata coverage against manufacturing defects. The beauty of this warranty is that the manufacturer will inspect the installer's work and make sure that the installer complies with manufacturer's specifications. As long as GAF is the only company to offer this warranty, we should buy our roofing materials from GAF.

Sunset Park has a problem in that the reroofing will happen in at least 2 phases that are several years apart. The Board will select the new roofing product for the first phase and will want to use the same product for any remaining phases. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that any particular product will still be manufactured at the time of the subsequent phases. However, manufacturers are likely to continue support of lines and colors that have been popular and have sold well for a number of years. The Certainteed Presidential Shake is one such line. A popular roof color that works well with many building colors is weathered wood.


September 9, 2001